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Originally Posted by articuno75  I need to repot an orchid and found these little tiny snails. So tiny that picking would be a pain. Is there a easier method |
Sure, there is
I have had a lot of problems with snails and slugs and have found a successful method of eliminating these pests. These tiny snails are probably Zonitoides arboreus, or orchid snails. Are they brownish and a bit bigger than a pin head?
I read this great article that says:
"In preliminary experiments, conducted in a research greenhouse in Hilo, two-striped slugs (Veronicella cubensis) were allowed to bury themselves in soil in pots, then the soil was wetted with a 2% solution of caffeine in water. After 3½ hours only 25% of the slugs remained in the soil, and by 2 days all of the slugs were gone, with 92% dead.
When slugs were fed 2% caffeine-treated cabbage leaves, 39% less was consumed over a 4 day period. And when slugs had a choice of treated or untreated leaves, consumption of the treated leaves was reduced by 77% (1% treatment) or 64% (2% treatment). Total cabbage consumption was reduced by 14 and 28%, respectively, indicating caffeine significantly reduces feeding.
Then greenhouse studies were conducted in Hilo, HA, applying caffeine solution sprays to snail-infested coir (coconut husk-chip medium in which potted orchids are grown). One and 2% solutions killed 60 and 95%, respectively, of the snails in the coir. And the 2% solution was even more effective in reducing the presence of snails than the commercial standard for orchid-snail treatment. After 30 days, caffeine-treated coir had only 5 snails, while coir treated with a standard dose of commercial metaldehyde had 35 snails and the water control 43 snails.
The researchers do not know how caffeine kills slugs and snails. But tests showed topically applied 2% caffeine solutions reduced orchid snail heart contractions, and all died after 4 days. Caffeine's high solubility in water — a key component of molluscs' locomotor mucus — could make slugs and snails more susceptible to contact poisoning from caffeine than other animals such as arthropods."
I have watered my orchids with cups of strong coffee for two or three days, then took a break (if some snails hatched from their eggs), and repeated the procedure after a week or so. After treatment I repotted the plant just in case it didn't like coffee as much as we do
